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| Day 78 |
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 The reading for day 78 was Acts 7:1-16:40
Acts chapter 7 Stephen's defense of the gospel amd subsequent martyrdom (sp?) It seems to me that every time we see a defense of the gospel, it always starts by going back to the Old Testament scriptures. If anyone else has seen otherwise in the New Testament let me know.
Stephen makes it a point in his defense of the gospel to compare Jesus to Moses and to compare the ones who didn't realize Moses was their deliverer to those he was speaking to. The cool thing is, if we continue on with the comparison, is that God still saved His chosen people in both instances. 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
I think that the story in Acts chapter 8 of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunich is really cool :-) its in verses 25-40. Again we see that Jesus is explained from the Old Testament. The law really is pointing us to Christ as our redeemer.
In chapter 9 we see the conversion of Saul(Paul). In light of my last blog, I found verses 17 and 18 particularly interesting. They say, "So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;"
Do you think it is reasonable in this case to equate baptism with being filled with the Holy Spirit?
In Acts chapter 10 we get to read the conversion of Cornelius and see how God, through Peter, opened the doorway for the Gentile world to come to Christ. Peter preached to them the gospel and God poured out His Spirit on them.
10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In chapter 11, when Peter reports back to the brethren about what happened, he says, "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?"
It is truly amazing to see how God worked through the apostles. In every instance where you see a miracle or sign happen, people believe on Jesus. That is what the outpouring of God's Spirit does, it causes us to believe. Without it it, no one would ever believe.
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Great blog! Great perspective about the defense of the NT gospel referring back to the OT. How true that is since the OT points completely to Jesus! Your blog, and this passage, reminds me of a quote by J. B. Phillips regarding the apostles and their acts versus modern day Christians and the lack of action on our part: "The Greatest difference between present-day Christianity, and that of which we read in these letters (of the New Testament), is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them it was real experience.
We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code or at best, a rule of heart and life. Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we could acheive what they acheived." Thanks again for the great post! |
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Thanks for the Star Deb!
Chris...interesting comment, I wonder what would happen if we really believed... |
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